Hebrew School

יש מקום לכול אחד פה
There is a place for everyone here.

This is our core philosophy. We value each student as an individual. Hebrew is an important part of our program, but the success of each child is not based on Hebrew alone, nor should Jewish identity be founded on a student’s ability to read or speak Hebrew.  Our programs are designed to bring the richness of our Jewish heritage to our student through the study of Torah, avodah and g’milut chasidim.

When do we learn?

For 5784 (aka 2023-24) Hebrew school meets on Sundays between 10 am and noon for grades PK-7 and on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 for grades 3-7.  On Sundays, we start with an assembly and then divide into classes.  One Sunday each month, parents come to school with their kids and we have Family Education for the first hour.

On Tuesdays, we serve an after school snack of bagels, cream cheese, and water from 3:15 to 3:55.  It’s a chance to schmooze, nosh, play games, and do homework with fellow Jews.  We expect students to behave appropriately for the context: a synagogue where people worship and work.  Students who need get exercise or be loud during the hour between schools should arrive at the Roth Center just before class begins at 4 pm.

Jew Crew, our teen program, meets from 5:30-7 pm on alternate Tuesdays.

Our classes are taught by Dartmouth College students, high school students, and adult community members.  We engage in regular professional development to improve pedagogy, safety, and content knowledge.

Hebrew School Registration Form

Jew Crew (post B’Mitzvah program) Registration Form

The Hebrew School calendar is available by google calendar subscription; please email the director to be added.

What do we learn?

Our Hebrew School Curriculum is divided into three core sections of study: reading and understanding Tefilah (prayers in Hebrew), learning and incorporating Jewish Values in everyday life, and Family Engagement in the Jewish community.

We teach both Jewish Values and Tefilah (prayers in Hebrew) using a range of curriculum materials from the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative movements.  Teachers write emails to parents after each class describing what took place, proposing a discussion question, posting the homework, and providing videos and other resources which the students should study.

Group mitzvah projects are a part of every class to prepare students for doing their own mitzvah projects at b’mitzvah time.  Projects have included delivering high holiday food drive items to the food

shelf at the Upper Valley Haven, writing cards to patients at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, helping to glean and sort produce for Willing Hands, and raising funds for organizations such as Peace Players.

Family Education is conveyed through monthly Family activities and All-School Shabbat services.  Parents attend these events to role model Jewish engagement for their children and to continue their own Jewish education.  Non-Jewish parents are especially welcomed to join us and ask plenty of questions.  We will not try to convert you (the prophet Isaiah said “the Temple is a house for all nations”), we just want you to understand what your children are learning.

Bar, Bat, and B’Mitzvah*

Becoming b’mitzvah is a tremendous milestone in a young person’s life. If you have a child who is nearing b’mitzvah age, mazel tov to both of you! Congregants wishing to attend the b’mitzvot of students in the religious school are encouraged to review the b’mitzvah calendar for the current year, 5783.

*Note that we use the gender neutral term “b’mitzvah” here to be inclusive but we will use the terms bar and bat mitzvah for those who prefer that.

For more information regarding these programs, please contact school@uvjc.org.

For the safety of your children, the doors are locked during school hours. Directions for entry during school hours appears on the entry doors. Children will not be dismissed to the parking lot.

Kol Ha’Emek’s school is supported in part by a grant from Jewish Federation of New Hampshire.

Interested in being a teacher, madrich/a (helper) or b’mitzvah tutor?

Please fill out our application and/or contact Education Director Melissa Herman school@uvjc.org